The top 15 youth cutting horse competitors from across the nation will gather tonight in Fort Worth, Texas, to competing at the National Youth Cutting Horse Association’s Grace Ranch World Finals. The youth equestrians will compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prize money, as well as trophy buckles, awards and National titles.

Texas cowgirl Austria Arnold will lead the pack by going into the competition in first place against the other under-18 cutting horse competitors from across the country in an effort to grab the organization’s Senior World Championship title. Arnold, a 16-year-old junior at the Hockaday School in Dallas, is currently leading the World Standings by 30-points. She will enter the herd with a total of 122 points this evening aboard her 7-year-old mare Freckles Meow in this exciting event which pits the horse against a selected cow in a battle of wills.

While lights, smoke, and music will create excitement these kids will be all business during the final three nights of their year-long competition to see who is the best of the best. Pittman Turner from Georgia will ride into Fort Worth tonight leading the Junior division with 97 points. Turner is 25-points ahead of the second place rider Jaycee Lowry. in the division. Shane Crawford of Mississippi is currently leading the Junior Youth Rookie of the Year standings with 53 points and enters the competitions final three rounds in 4th place.

In the Senior Youth Rookie of the Year, Trevor Pritchett from Texas is holding the No.1 spot heading into the finals with 57 points. His good-friend, and fellow Texas competitor, Zachary George is in a close second with 51 points.

The youth competition will take place in the WR Watt Arena at the Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth on Monday, July 21, Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23 with the 2014 Champions being crowned at the conclusion of the competition. The competition begins with contestant introductions at 6:00 pm each evening and is free to the public.

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An award-winning writer, Carroll Brown Arnold has been published in multiple national equine publications and is the former publisher of America’s Cutter and America’s Barrel Racer magazines. Carroll graduated from Southern Methodist University and successfully completed graduate work at the University of North Texas. A regular cutting horse competitor with the NCHA, ACHA, and AQHA, Carroll received her first horse as a 16th birthday gift from her parents and went on to fill the next twenty years competing in barrel racing and pole bending competitions. Today, she lives on a 39-acre breeding farm with her equine veterinarian husband Kenton H. Arnold, DVM and horse-loving daughter Austria.